2025 Update from AEC on Our Continuing Work

To our supporters:

We want to take the time to thank you for your support and update you on Abolish the Electoral College’s (AEC) continuing fight to reform our elections, protect the fundamental right to vote, and ensure that every vote truly counts.

The results of the 2024 election were disheartening. We know how difficult it is to put everything you have into an election and still come up short — we’re right there with you in processing many of the setbacks we saw this cycle. But we also have some good news to share — silver linings made possible by your support of AEC and our mission. More on that below.

Our current situation shows exactly why we must abolish the Electoral College, ensure that every single vote matters and continue our work to safeguard every qualified American’s access to the ballot box. Our system should reflect the will of the people, yet in 2024,seven swing states decided the fate of the country and effectively elected Donald Trump president. While tens of millions of voters in states like California, New York, and Illinois saw their presidential votes carry little weight under a system that continues to disenfranchise voters based on where they live.

Yes, Donald Trump won the popular vote by a small percentage. But the deeper issue remains: our electoral system continues to send the message that some votes matter more than others. In key swing states, voter turnout soared—Wisconsin reached nearly 77%, and Michigan nearly 75%. Meanwhile, turnout in California was just 62%, and in New York, it was a dismal 58%. This disparity is no accident—it’s the predictable result of a system that devalues voters in non-competitive states.

At AEC, we believe that Democracy works only when every voice is heard and every vote counts equally. That’s why we are fighting not only to end the Electoral College but also to protect and expand access to the ballot. Every American should have the right to cast their vote in an election where their voice holds equal weight—no matter their zip code.

To get there, we must continue to build our power from the ground up. During the 2024 election cycle, AEC strategically invested your contributions where they would have the greatest impact on our long-term mission.

We focused on state legislative races in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona — states that we think have the highest chance of joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact if we can help elect supportive legislators. We supported candidates in extremely close contests, where the outcome was determined within the margin of polling error.

70% of the candidates we supported who were running for election in 2024 won their races. That’s not an accident; it was the direct result of targeted investment in candidates who are committed to expanding voting rights and advancing electoral reform. And it was made possible by you.

Your support helped elect pro-democracy champions in some of the toughest races in the country. At a time when voting rights are under attack and election integrity is being undermined, your contributions helped us protect the right to vote and move us closer to a system that reflects the will of the people.

As we continue our mission into 2025 and 2026, AEC remains committed to bringing about real electoral change, with your support we will remain committed to abolishing the Electoral College, strengthening voting rights, and ensuring that our elected leaders defend democracy—not erode it. This is an ambitious goal, and it will take time. But we continue to make progress thanks to you — even during the difficult 2024 cycle — and we’re not about to back down now.

With Donald Trump back in the White House, we’re seeing the damage that can be done to our country when an obsolete electoral system suppresses the voice of the majority of Americans. That’s why our work is more urgent than ever. We must protect the right to vote, expand access to the ballot, and build a democracy where every vote truly counts.

Thank you for standing with us.

With appreciation,

Team AEC